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erythromycin antibiotics pregnancy

Hi there
I wondered if anyone has taken this anti biotic in pregnancy?
It says on the label that bit will cross the placenta so I have googled (bad) and there's a daily mail article saying a study has found a link between this drug and cerebal palsy and epilepsy.

I'm seeing my obstetrician Friday to discuss this as not confident at all about taking as you can imagine.
But I wondered if anybody had taken this?

Hi Tab Ive not been on that one, was given trimethoprim in first tri for a UTI and I remember feeling worried about taking them. Can you phone and speak to your midwife and see if they can reassure you? It might be that there is more potential for harm in 1st trimester rather than now but I can understand why you would be worried if you have read about risks xx

Thanks guys. If I'd not read that article I would be less concerned. Spoke to midwife at ante natal clinic and she said it was best to speak to obstetrician so made me an appointment.

What is worrying is that my GP said I didn't need it. It's for an infection found in vaginal swab taken at emergency assessment labour ward when I had a bleed last week. After I spoke to my GP I spoke to the hospital for a second opinion and that's where they told me to pick up the prescription. I had doubt and thought i would at least wait until today to speak to someone in my ante natal team.

I checked today with the team I see at ante natal appointments and the obstetrician advised the midwife that even though it's only light growth identified, the protocol is to treat it. I have no symptoms and bleed stopped v quickly so it's almost incidental this was picked up now.

To add to the scenario it's the same bacteria I was treated for in February where they found heavy growth but it was a different antibiotic. I went back to my GP in march with some discomfort and had another swab, at the time GP said nothing was identified to treat. But the midwife checked results for me today and said I had light growth identified back in march's swab!!

Reall want to follow my obstetrician's advice as they're the specialist and the protocol has to be in place for a reason. But it's just the safety of this antibiotic. I couldnt physically put it in my mouth and swallow knowing this latest study. Midwife said it's prescribed a lot in pregnancy though. All very stressful anyway as you can imagine!

Hopefully getting to the bottom of why the hospital want to clear infection vs why GP doesn't and seeing if there is alternative safer antibiotics will make me more confident and less anxious.

Oh tab what a nightmare getting different advice from everywhere, I would go with what the hospital say over the GP.
U do get loads of articles talking about the problems with loads of different things sometimes ignorance is bliss
xx

Hi Tab, the daily mail is not a scientific paper, so I would trust the obstetrician. Some infections can be dangerous if you are pregnant, that is why they treat them. Taking drugs is always a process of balancing risks, pros and cons.
Talk to the obstetrician again and ask her to reassure you.
Take care.

hi Maria
It wasn't the daily mail that worried me. It was the study it sighted and the royal college of obstetricians and gynaecologists organisation statement in response to the study findings.just waiting until Friday now to speak to him/her whoever I get hahaa.
It's been the longest week! I want to shift the infection but need a better understanding of the drugs and alternatives
Xxx

Just tying up this post in case anyone looking for advice in the future.

As I had voiced concerns about the risks of this antibi my obstetrician looked Into the bacteria that had been identified further. Staphylococcus auereus. He hadn't found any evidence of me needing to clear this particular infection as it was light growth only- even though hospital protocol was to treat any infection identified.
We decided to leave it a week and re-swab to see how it had developed.

I had another swab a week later which came back completely clear.

Im so glad I trusted my instincts and followed up with my obstetrician face to face before taking prescribed meds.

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "Tab" (Jun 22nd 2015, 11:07am)